RIVERSIDE, Calif. (www.ucr.edu) – The Inland Empire added 8,300 jobs in December on a seasonally adjusted basis, bringing the total jobs gained in the region last year to 41,200, according to a report released today by the UCR School of Business Center for Economic Forecasting and Development.

The center cautions against reading too much into any single month’s numbers, especially near year’s end. Nonetheless, December’s employment estimates are another indication the local economy is continuing to expand.

“The Inland Empire finished the year on a high note with a yearly gain of 41,200 jobs, the second-largest yearly gain among regions in the state,” said Robert Kleinhenz, executive director of research at the Center for Economic Forecasting and Development. “The labor market has tightened considerably in the past year, so job gains in the year ahead may be somewhat smaller, but we expect to see more full-time jobs and wage increases in 2017.”

The Inland Empire’s unemployment rate edged up to 5.6 percent in the latest numbers, which was driven by a minimal increase in the region’s labor force (a gain of 100) coupled with a 1,600 reduction in total employment, as measured by the monthly household survey. However, from a year-over-year perspective, total employment expanded by 35,400 and the region’s labor force grew by 22,100.

* The California Employment Development Department releases its latest estimates of job counts on the third Friday of every month. Each month, the Center for Economic Forecasting and Development will provide seasonally adjusted estimates of employment along with additional analysis of the most recent employment trends occurring throughout Inland Southern California.

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The University of California, Riverside (www.ucr.edu) is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment is now nearly 23,000 students. The campus opened a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion.